Islamic Morals [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Section
Two:

Censure of the World

The second
section of this book It has been written with the assistance of some teachers.
Those who are interested can refer to it for details, contains the verses and
the traditions condemning the world:

1. Worldly
interests cause chastisement both Here and in the Hereafter.

2. This world is a fast fading and transitory thing.

3. The world is a deceptive abode.

4. This world and the Hereafter are opposed to one another.

5. This world is a playful activity.

6. This world causes leaving of and turning against the Hereafter.

7. This world is a trifling thing and it is advisable to turn away from it.

8. Poverty is desirable and admirable and like wise, piety and power to the
extent of sufficiency.

9. Lust and greed for worldly things is undesirable and so also is accumulation
of wealth.

10. This world is valueless compared to the Hereafter and spiritual perfection.

Section Three:
is comprised of the verses and narrations explaining meaning of the world and
piety and it also discusses the relation between the two:

1. The lust
for the world is condemned, not the world itself.

2. An indulgence in world which makes one forgetful of the truth is undesirable
and condemnable.

3. Revelry in the world is undesirable and indecent.

4. Giving preference to this world over the Hereafter is blameworthy.

5. Hoarding of wealth and being parsimonious is undesirable and abhorrent.

6. Selling away the Hereafter in exchange of this worldly life has been condemned
and, it's vice a versa, praised.

7. Extravagance over indulgence and squandering spending of wealth futilely
and luxury extravagance and pomp are undesirable.

8. Refraining from spending money in what is blameworthy according to the divine
commandments.

9. Reliance on and attachment with the world is censored.

10. The worldly involvement, if it is for the benefit of the Hereafter, is desirable
and appreciable.

From the above
narrations it becomes known that pious is one whose heart is not entangled in
the material world and who also keeps away from the worldly adornments and luxuries.

Attributes
or virtues of a Zahid

Amirul Momineen
(a.s.) says: They were a group of people from this world but they did not live
for it, that they lived in the world like those who did not belong to it. They
acted on what they perceived and were ever cautious. They did not sit but with
those who loved the Hereafter life after death. They knew that the worldly people
give more importance to the death of the body but they understood that the death
of the soul of the living was more significant.

Degrees
of Piety

Ali bin Husain
(a.s.) was asked: What is piety?

The Imam (a.s.) said: Piety is of ten kinds. Its highest degrees are the lowest
stages of Reza Gods pleasure. Beware! Verily zuhd has been defined in a verse
of the Holy Quran: Do not remain in sorrow over of what has passed and do
not be overjoyed about what is to come.

The late Naraqi
(r.a.) writes in Me'raj us-Saadah: Know that piety is of three categories:

1-Lower,

2- Medium and

3- High.

Verily the
first and the lower kind is that man loves and likes the world but also keeps
away from it through efforts and toiling exercises.

The second
stage: As a whole appreciates and values the world but does not give preference
to it over the Hereafter and thus discards love for the world.

Third stage:
Does not focus attention on the world as an aim and, really, does not believe
that it is precious.

Thereafter
he has divided Zuhd in seven categories:

1. The obligatory
piety: to give up what is prohibited by Allah.

2. The safe piety:
to keep away from every doubtful thing.

3. Excellent piety:
which also is divided into two kinds:

4. Refrains from desiring
more than necessary even in the permitted but benefits from it only to the extent
of need.

5. Gives up all that
is like by the human heart even if essential that is he or she limits his worldly
needs to the minimum.

6. Zuhde Maarefat
(Piety with Insight): Gives up everything except Allah and disconnects himself
or herself even from his or her life.

7. Zuhde Khaaifeen
(Piety of the Afraid): This is the best kind of piety wherein one does not desire
anything except nearness to and pleasure of Allah nor does not desire anything
except nearness to and pleasure of Allah nor does he think about the chastisement
in Hell so as to seek protection there-from. He also does not long for the paradise
so as to pray for the same. Rather all and all of his or her self is for meeting
the Lord Almighty.

But from what
can be said after following the above narrations is that his world in itself
is not against the Hereafter. It is the lust for worldly things which is against
piety even if less. What testifies this is the lives of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.)
and Imam (a.s.).

The Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.s.) said: Wearing rough clothes and eating dry food is not piety. Curtailing
of ambitions is piety.

The Philosophy
of Piety

Whatever explanation
is given about piety also makes for us it philosophy clear It can be said that
it is disconnection and freedom from the clutches of wealth and status material
power , because, it gives liberation to man. This liberation is such that nobody
particularly leaders cannot attain their aims without it, as what mostly stagnates
the leaders of the society in the middle of their path and renders them unsuccessful
in gaining their goal is this very spirit of world-worship which overcomes them.
If they become careless of material wealth and status and adopt upright devotion
they can sweep aside all hindrances and can advance toward their goal.

Whenever we
study the history of the lives of the priest and leaders of Islam, especially
the noble lives of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and Ali (a.s.) we see that those
who were the enemies and opponents of Islam had, for luring and scuttling the
collective thinking of Muslims, put forward material and worldly offers in order
to deviate them from the right and straight path of Islam.

Those before
whom such offers were constantly put were two groups:

1. Those who
were not among the pious and God fearing and devout and intelligent Muslims
and hence were liable to slip when confronted by such conspiracies and tricks.

2. Those who had advanced
fully in understanding Islam to such an extent that even if the sun and the
moon and the stars were put in their palms they would not show any inclination
to them and/or if the government of the entire world less justice and Truth
was offered to them they would not value them more than a pair of shoes. The
perfect example of the second kind was Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) and those who
were trained by him as they too had kicked off such offers and fought with the
offerers very toughly.

Yes, one who
really owns piety is never deceived by the adorations of fast-passing wealth
and status because zuhd is always against beauty worship and power lust and
a pious leader always endeavours to make money serve the poor in a correct manner.
Similarly a pious society never feels inferior or contempt and leads life peacefully
and easily.

Amirul Momineen
(a.s.), in his letter to Usman bin Haneef, governor of Basrah: Next, O son of
Haneef! I have come to know that a rich man in Basrah invited you for a dinner
and you too accepted it happily and went there. There came to you different
colourful food one after another in attractive plates and vessels. I do not
think you should have accepted that invitation because the reedy and the poor
could not go there and only rich had gathered there O son of Haneef! Ponder
seriously on whatever you eat whether it is permissible Halaal or prohibited
Haraam. Then if you have any doubt about a things permissibility spit it out
and devour only that wherein there is no doubt at all.

O son of Haneef!
Be cautious and remember that every follower has a leader whom he should follow.
He must learn wisdom from him. And you O son of Haneef! Know that your leader
Imam has, in his life, sufficed only with these two worn out clothes and two
pieces of bread. And if you are unable to be like that then, at least, assist
your Imam in the path of piety and modesty and in going straight.

Do not think
that I am unable to obtain the worldly tasty things. By Allah! If I so desire,
I can provide for myself pure honey and the pulp of wheat and silk clothes for
my food and dress. But, woe unto me if I am overpowered by lust and greed and
if I indulge in passion and desire so as to select tasty eatables. Maybe when
I eat tasty and colourful things when, in Hijaz or Yamama, there is someone
who does not have even a piece of bread and perhaps he has never gone to be
with a full belly?

Is it proper
for me to fill my stomach and go to bed when, around me, there may be hungry
and weak people? Should it be as a poet has said: It should be a sufficient
calamity for you if you sleep with a full belly and around you are empty stomachs
in thin bodies!

Should it be
enough for me that people call me Amirul Momineen when I am not like them in
their hardships?

Yes, it is
obvious that, if the people in a society are pious and honest, there will be
no opposition or it will be the least and, consequently, all will live in peace
and happily away from all kinds of injustice and oppression and encroachment
of the rights of one another.

Who is Zahid
?

Zahid or pious
is one who has the ability to live luxuriously for himself but does not do so.
One who has such ability and does not live luxuriously cannot be considered
pious.

Also Zahid
is one who, when he gets such wealth, spends all of it in the path of Allah
for His sake and in no other way like love of power and status and praise for
himself.

Definition
of piety in the words of Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.): The best piety is to hide
your piety.

Some great
personalities have mentioned three distinct signs of a Zahid:

1- Does not
become joyful due to whatever he gents gets from worldly things and also does
not turn sorrowful when it goes out of his hand. As the Lord Almighty says in
the Holy Quran: So that you may not grieve for what has escaped you, nor be
exultant at what He has given you.

2- His praise and
his criticism Bouquets and brickbats are same for him.

3- His heart must
always be full of love of Allah and not of anything else a as two affections
do not join in one heart.

Lastly the
love for worldly things must not pierce he soul of man. Rather man must ride
on the world as a ship rides water. So long as the ship is riding on water it
swims safely but drowns if water enters it. Similarly if the worldly love creeps
in the soul it drowns man in ignorance and waywardness and drives him away from
Allah. It is exactly like that ship which continues the voyage until it remains
on the surface of water and so long as there is no hole in it. But if and when
a hole appears in it and the water gets into it drowns.